The Black Widow

Gabriel Allon, the art restorer, spy, and assassin is about to become the chief of Israel's secret intelligence service. But on the eve of his promotion, events conspire to lure him into the field for one final operation. ISIS has detonated a massive bomb in the Marais district of Paris, and a desperate French government wants Gabriel to eliminate the man responsible before he can strike again.

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About as good as it gets if you enjoy a well crafted authentic tale that takes readers on a suspenseful pulse-pounding journey. The only downside is that just like in real life the terrorists/jihadists always seem to win. Silva wrote this story before actual events in Paris happened but decided to carry on and tell his story the way he conceived it. The novel has a nice touch in that Allon for a while relinquishes the starring role to a female operative.

This was the first Silva title I'd read. I had no trouble following the story, although it was slightly uncomfortable because it became difficult to differentiate what I was reading in the news, with what was part of the story. So not really an "escape" novel as it was so realistic, and not overly memorable for me, but I liked it.

Daniel Silva takes us to the Middle East where a Jewish doctor, posing as an Arab physician practising in a Paris clinic serving a primarily Arab patients, is successfully inserted in ISIS where is to engage in espionage to identify Arab terrorists. Suspense and drama are always the hallmark of anything Silva writes nor does he disappoint now.

Although I finished this book, it was difficult to get into because of the minute details such as street names, what people wore, etc. A bit too much description that takes one away from the actual story.

My first audio-book I have ever listened to. The narrator does an excellent job where I am engaged throughout the entire novel while listening to what he is reading. I had not read any Daniel Silva novels prior to this; though after hearing, "The Black Widow" on e-DVD, I would be interested in reading/listening to his other works in the future.

Yes, there are repetitive backgrounders on characters and events if you read all the Gabriel Allon novels from the beginning. It would be brilliant if Silva could figure out a way to trim some of that while cluing in new readers. What amazes me about Silva is that, in one novel set several years before the advent of Pope Francis, a new, humble, world-changing Pope arrives on the scene. Black Widow preceded recent major terrorist events in France. I find myself wondering what the ever-prescient Silva will be saying in next year's novel (2018), now that America has become unmoored from its place in the world.

This time we missed the sub plot around the art restoration but the current theme of terrorist threats in USA were gripping. Gabriel gets one more kick at the can out in the field before he becomes head of Israeli intelligence service.